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From:” THE ALITALIA BOOK OF AUTHENTIC ITALIAN COOKING”by: Barbara StacyPublisher: THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY New York Established 1834Lasagne 2 sweet Italian sausages, chopped1 onion, minced2 1/2 cups (20-ounce can) Italian tomatoes1 teaspoon basil1 tablespoon chopped parsleySaltPepper1 pound lasagna or broadest noodles available, cooked1 pound ricotta or creamed cottage cheese1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Fry sausages for 3 minutes and drain most fat.Add onion and sauté until golden.Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup boiling water, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper; simmer, covered, for 3 hours, stirring from time to time.Place a layer of lasagna on the bottom of a buttered baking dish and pour a little sauce over it.Mix the ricotta with 2 tablespoons water and spread a few tablespoons of the mixture over the sauce.Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese.Repeat the process until all these ingredients are used, ending with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese.Bake the lasagna in a moderate oven, 350° F., for 30 minutes, or until it is done.SERVES 4.

Notes from me.From the publication date of the book (1962) it’s probably Roma tomatoes which are designated Italian tomatoes. To all you restaurant cooks who seem to think everything can be improved by the addition of tablespoons of cayenne pepper (or its equivalents). Note that there is not a single bit of hot spicing in this recipe. (Black pepper is, at its worst, “warm.”)It is not needed!!! And very rarely needed in anything else, either. Sweet Italian sausage means just that, the sausages are seasoned with spices which taste good but don’t burn a hole in your tongue. For those who like pizza there’s a recipe at “Nancy” on Saturday, March 9, 2013